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Friday, December 21, 2012

Unhappy Feet

If you're reading this, apparently we didn't succumb to the Mayan end of days. Whew! Now, what do I do with all this spam? ;-)

It's been quite a while since a normal weekday post! If you're not a Facebook follower, I'll catch you up on my foot situation. I went back to the podiatrist yesterday. While waiting to go back for my appointment it was geriatric day. Now I love me some old people, especially sassy ones but when your new shoes match the 65 year olds sitting across from you, it doesn't do much for your confidence, ya know? I was SO happy to get that damn flexible cast cut off. I seriously think the tightness of it was impeding recovery. I was having more problems with the top of my foot than when I went in there. So I'm hoping having the vice off will expedite things. The girl said she suggested I get scanned for the orthotic inserts and I asked how much they were, she said $340. When I came to, she asked if I knew if my insurance covered it or not and I said I had no clue so she called for me. Another lady came back and said my insurance didn't cover it (surprise) and that unfortunately most don't cover them anymore and only a few will cover them if you're diabetic. I asked if there were any over the counters I could try first and she said to ask the doc about that because she wasn't allowed to tell me one way or the other. She said she had bad feet as well and even had surgery. I asked for what and it was for Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome (TTS) and nerve entrapment (same thing I have) and she said it didn't help and it's actually coming back and the doctor told her it probably would. Awesome. I've done a LOT of research and I know for sure if my case was bad enough, I still probably wouldn't want the surgery because of the rate of complications. The doctor came in and was very pleased to hear I was doing everything she asked. (What, do most people not??) She was excitedly writing down all of the things I said I was doing...things she told me to do. I told her I felt the tape job was holding back my recovery and she said that was fine it didn't need to be taped up again if I felt uncomfortable in it. (Good because I would've cut it off when I got home!) She said I have to continue my current regimen (no impact exercise, ice, elevation, rest, stay off of it as much as possible, never walk around the house without ortho slippers/shoes) until I am 100% pain free. At that time I can re-introduce low impact to see how I do but not until I feel I'm 100% recovered. Awesome. :-(

She said she was going to hold off on ordering a nerve test because I haven't complained of numbness or tingling which is a major tell tale of TTS and to keep it stretched. Though the nice shooting pain I experienced last night while standing making dinner didn't give me much hope but I need to remember yesterday was the first day I had the tape off so who knows if nerves will fire or not. It was quite a mental setback because it kind of knocked me off of my feet but I will do whatever it takes to get better and hopefully my body won't punish me for it. I'm very nervous for tomorrow's weigh in since it's the first weigh in after a full week of modification. I've been eating fish like almost everyday this week except we had quesadillas for the first time in a while. I don't know how those got out of rotation but they're comin' back in, fo' sho!

I'm trying to look at it as a blessing because it's taught us how critical it is to have good foot care. I admit to being guilty of cheaping out on good shoes in favor of mid-range shoes and running them into the ground. I never gave exercising on a hard surface a second thought. But I can't wait for the day I'm recovered from this, assuming I will. Internet research has also freaked me out but I'd rather be armed with knowledge than go in blindly.

Other than that, just trying to get ready for the holiday and keep my spirits up as much as possible amidst my frustration.

What have you been up to? *I am not a doctor and all information in my blog posts regarding Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome should not be construed as medical advice, only my personal experience as stated in the disclaimer tab.*

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22 comments:

Wow - at least the tape is off. I hope your feet recover now. I also am surprised at how often doctors are amazed by patients that actually do what they're supposed to. I guess most people don't actually follow the medical advice from the professional they've paid to give them that advice. Seems like a waste to me.

Last day of work before vacation begins for me. Of course tomorrow will be crazy busy as I try to pull my house together for company (just my folks, but still needs to be cleaned) and try to finish all the last minute stuff. This year there is A LOT of last minute stuff.

Exactly! Now I do admit I'm going to lay off of the compression hose for a few days because the ONLY place they pinch (of course) is right over the nerve giving me problems! I'm going to focus on icing and massaging that area and hoping for the best. I want to decompress my foot entirely over the next few days. Have fun cleaning ;) and Merry Christmas!

I wish I could help you more but resting and all that is the best medicine right now. Truthfully we are both learning some good lessons from this so as long as you come through fine in the end, which I know you will, we will both be better off for it in the long run. Getting proper flooring is something I always wondered about but turns out it was so easy it should have been a no brainer. So anyone reading my comment now, if nothing else, go treat yourself to some nice rubber floor tiles from the sporting goods store, unless you're already working on a softer surface. Your feet will thank you for it!

I think most people take their feet and the issues we can have with them for granted... Last January, I started going to the gym fast and furiously. My husband and I completely changed our eating habits (easier for him as a former Marine... He loooves all that healthy stuff, and going to the gym 6 days a week :D) it took me awhile to get into it... As I was expecting, since I had about 100 pounds to lose. 40 pounds down, and my feet started killing me. So bad I was crawling to the bathroom in the morning, I couldn't walk. Turns out, I have plantar fasciitis. My feet are curved, and doing what I was made it so much worse. :( I don't have insurance and was told I need $600 custom made shoes to correct it, that it won't get better without them, and the PF will never go away until the weird feet I have are fixed. Sure does make trying to lose weight really hard! You are such an inspiration, thanks for blogging :) Hope your feet get better soon - good luck!!!

I'm so sorry you have to go through that. I saw some examples of curved feet and I'm sure that there has to be a more economical way to help you, at least I hope there is! $600 is insane! Powerstep has a chat really high arch insole that might help you, it was too hard for me but it might be perfect for you and if you get it through Amazon, you can return them if they don't help. Thanks so much for you kind words. If this injury can help inspire anyone to keep pushing any way you can with what you've got, it's worth sharing!

@Sheena, get a second opinion! I have plantar fasciitis as well, and while I did get some orthotic sandals for the summer, $35 Superfeet insoles in regular shoes (and even in my house slippers) have helped in my recovery. What you were told sounds like a big scam to me. Second opinion from a recommended podiatrist, that's the ticket.

Anele, I can understand what a frustration an injury can be when you were doing so well, and I'm so sorry it has happened to you. Sending you all my best for a smooth recovery and at least maintaining while you're on your way.

As for what I'm doing, marking time until tomorrow morning when we head out for a much-anticipated visit with our kids and grandkids. Everything is spic and span, cars serviced, and gifts wrapped. Loading the car today for an early start and in my spare time, preparing to look for a job when I return. I can relate to your comment about the 65-year-olds' shoes. I'm 64, and I can't figure out how to acquire cute, interview-worthy shoes that won't kill my feet!

Well it sounds like following Dr.'s orders has put you on the path to recovery and that is a good thing. i know it's frustrating being sidelined a bit but I also know you are still pushing through the exercise as much as you can. I am on my last day of working & then a long break. Perfect timing as I fell on the ice yesterday so I have a knee complaining and a broken digit. Could have been worse...this just means no dishwashing till the splint comes off. Drats! Have a great holiday.

I don't do facebook so may have missed something that would answer this question? Have you considered seeing a good chiropractor? I had a heel spur that incapacitated me that I just knew would require surgery and was going to go to a podiatrist until I mentioned it to my chiropractor. She had me feeling amazingly better in a week and "back on my feet" completely into exercise in about a month and I have had no problems since.

Well hopefully you're on your way to a full mend. I agree with you that proper shoes are very important!!! I'm finally making headway in convincing my husband of this. He used to be a Walmart shoe guy and I've at least got him in Nike's now which he swears by. I hope you get the number you're looking for on weigh in day. So far we're still alive on armegeddon day, so that's a win!

Oh yeah the Mr has completely changed his tune and this has really changed his outlook on foot care/shoes. Yes, being alive is a good thing! ;) No armageddon here! (I wonder what the return policy is for those survival pods they were selling to ride out the end of the world?)

My legs swelled up yesterday, hated it. So today I'll get some walking in for my hour lunch. Glad to hear the visit went well. Still praying for you to recover fully. Can you believe Christmas is almost here? It's a good thing, because I can't keep quiet about some of the gifts I'm giving. It's so exciting!!!

Thanks for taking the time to comment! I appreciate thoughtful readers like you! If your comment doesn't show up right away, check back in a few minutes. I promise it'll get posted. The system can get a little glitchy. (Rude or spammy comments will be deleted. Fair warning.)

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I've lost over 200 lbs the old fashioned way with some more to go. I'm doing this with my hubby (The Mr) and he has lost 190 lbs so far. I wanted to share my journey as well and give people with a lot of weight to lose hope that this can be done without surgery or cutting out entire food groups! Passionate about photography, cooking, traveling, DIY and anything 80's.

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